Lunch pail latch



March 12, 1957 E. KARJALA ETAL LUNCH PAIL LATCH Filed July 31, 1956 E m/'/ Karja/a Noah Lompre 1N VEN TORS United States Patent O LUNCH PAIL LATCH Emil Karjala and Noah Lompre, Marquette, Mich. Application July 31, 1956, Serial No. 601,296 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-162) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in latches for lunch pails, tackle and tool boxes, etc., particularly the former, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel means for positively securing the usual hinged covers of such receptacles or containers in closed position, thereby preventing the accidental opening there of.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a latch of the character described which is adapted to be used on conventional lunch pails and substantially similar receptacles or containers without the necessity of making material structural alterations therein.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a lunch pail latch of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly eflicient and reliable in use and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lunch pail equipped with a latch embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a detail view in perspective of the latch per se.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that reference character 5 designates generally a lunch pail of suitable material and dimensions. The lunch pail 5 comprises a conventional hinged cover 6 having mounted thereon the usual carrying strap or handle 7.

Slidably mounted in guides or bearings 8 which are provided therefor on the upper portion of the front 9 of the lunch pail 5 is a metallic rod 10. The rod 10 includes a reversely bent end portion 11 which terminates in a hook 12. At its other end, the rod 10 terminates in a hook 13 which extends in the same direction as the hook 12. The books 12 and 13 are slidably engageable in keepers, eyes or loops 14 which are provided therefor at spaced points on the front or free end of the hinged cover 6.

Fixed at an intermediate point on the rod 10 is a substantially segmental operating plate 15. A coil spring 16 is mounted under tension on the rod 10 and has one end engaged with one of the guides or bearings 8 and its other end engaged with the plate for actuating said rod in a direction to engage the hooks 12 and 13 in the keepers or loops 14. The disk 15 includes a flat peripheral portion or edge 17 which slidably abuts the front 9 of the pail 5.

It is thought that the operation of the latch will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the hooks 12 and 13 engaged in the keepers or loops 14, the cover 6 of the pail 5 is positively secured in closed position on said pail. The coil spring 16 yieldingly urges the hooks 12 and 13 into the loops 14. To open the lunch pail 5, the rod 10 is actuated through the medium of the disk 15 against the tension of the coil spring 16 for disengaging the hooks 12 and 13 from the loops 14, thus freeing the cover 6 which may now be swung upwardly to open position. To again latch the cover in closed position, the foregoing procedure is substantially reversed. The substantially segmental operating disk 15, being slidably engaged at 1'7 with the front 9 of the pail 5, positivelyretains the rod 10 against rotation in the bearings 8,. thus ensuring alignment of the hooks 12 and 13 with the loops 14 when said rod 10 is in retracted position with the cover 6 closed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A latch for lunch pails of the type comprising a hinged cover, said latch including: a pair of loops mounted on the cover, a pair of spaced, aligned guides mounted on the pail, a rod slidable in said guides, books on the ends of said rod engageable in the loops for releasably securing the cover in closed position, an operating disk fixed on the rod for manually actuating said rod in one direction for disengaging the books from the loops, and a coil spring mounted on the rod and engaged with said disk for actuating said rod in the opposite direction for engaging the hooks in the loops, said disk including a substantially flat peripheral portion slidably engaged with the pail for securing the rod against rotation in the guides with the hooks aligned with the loops.

2. A latch for lunch pails of the type comprising a hinged cover, said latch including: a pair of aligned loops mounted on the free end of the cover, a pair of aligned guides mounted on the upper portion of the front of the pail adjacent said loops, a rod slidable in said guides, hooks on said rod engageable in the loops for securing the cover in closed position, and an operating disk fixed on the rod at an intermediate point, said disk comprising a flat peripheral portion slidably engaged with the pail for securing the rod against rotation with the hooks aligned with the loops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 223,624 DeWitt Jan. 13, 1880 1,315,568 Neidhammer Sept. 9, 1919 1,558,099 Lebrun Oct. 20, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 342,709 Great Britain Jan. 26. 1931 

